Survival of Listeria monocytogenes in cheese made of unpasteurized goat milk.

Food-born infections with Listeria monocytogenes have been reported during recent years, cheese being mentioned as one of the foods responsible. A classical opinion is that cheese represents a very inhospitable environment for pathogens due to antagonism by the starter culture of lactic-acid-producing organisms. In order to study the survival of L. monocytogenes in goat cheese, cheeses were made with the addition of L. monocytogenes cultures. The maximum survival time for L. monocytogenes was 18 weeks in two of the cheeses. It is concluded that L. monocytogenes has the ability to survive in semi-soft cheese made of unpasteurized goat milk during normal curing (2–3 months).